I normally buy a 5.27 lb of Koi Vibrance fish food and was curious as to how long larger packages would last. I have been buying 5.27 lb bags but would like to save some $ by buying the 8.27 lb zip lock bag (or larger). I have approximately 20 fish in my small pond, about 540 gallons, containing mostly shubunkins and 3 Koi which are now about 10-12 long inches in size and growing fast with big appetites. My 5.27 bag has lasted about a year but the Koi are now really devouring the food quickly. I had thought of buying a 16.5 lb bag that would bring the cost down from $4.80 a lb to $3.60 a lb, a pretty good saving but not sure how long it would last so really looking at the 8.27 lb size (am I wrong on the 16.5 lb size?). I don't really think zip lock bags last very long but perhaps I am wrong. The Vibrance Koi food that I am referring to is made by TetraPond. The fish reallly like this food and they have wonderful color.
Hope this makes sense.
Thanks...........Ralph
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Ralph there is also the problem of the shelf life of your food pellets to think about, even in a ziplock bag they arent going to last forever so its counter productive to buy large amount at a time.
Your best bet is to weigh the amount you feed them each day to see how much you are using then do some simple math to work out the amount you'll need fo the season. and buy that amount .
Most koi foods have sell by dates on the bag or container they are impregnated with vitamins etc which are vitally important to the growth and well being of your fish.
Tetra is a food I wouldnt use go for one of the more expenive brands of koi food , you can buy different mix's for instance I get my feeds via Holland , I feed wheatgerm and garlic in the spring , then in the late spring early summer we use a special Japanese mix as well as high protien pellets which is to build up our koi ready for the long bleak winter at 51% protien its amazing just how quickly they put on the fats needed for the coming winter months (this would also apply to your koi and shubunkins).
As we swing back into late summer early autumn we switch back to wheatgerm and garlic only stopping feeding when the temperature goes bellow 10.c .
A word of caution many companies now claim its safe to feed bellow 10.c as far down as 5.c personally I wouldnt trust it when the koi hit 2c they go torpid meaning any feed left in the gut could have the potential to rot and kill your fish.
It is only when the temperature has been above 10.c for a few weeks and is steady that you start feeding your koi and shubunkins again .
So all in all your wasting money buying large amounts that your fish cannot possibly eat in a whole season.
Dave
